FM college student's death sparks political storm; Odisha CM announces Rs 20 lakh ex gratia, promises strict action
The chief minister, who accompanied President Droupadi Murmu to Cuttack in the morning to attend several programmes, returned to the state capital in the afternoon and held a series of high-level meetings. Again, after seeing off the President at the airport in the evening, he rushed to the state BJP office and held a meeting with top party functionaries, which lasted for more than two hours.
Earlier in the morning, Majhi announced an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to the next of the kin of the victim.
The 20-year-old girl, who set herself ablaze on July 12 outside the principal's office on the college campus, was declared dead late on Monday night by the authorities of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.
Expressing grief over the student's demise, the chief minister assured the family that the accused in the case will be given the strictest of punishment. 'I have personally instructed the officials concerned on this. The government stands firmly with the family,' he said. Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan also expressed deep grief.
Meanwhile, sources said the meetings held by the CM took note of the quick action taken by arresting the principal and the assistant professor of the college and provisioning best of treatment for the victim. While endorsing the action of the government, there was unanimity on expanding the scope of the investigation to bring each and everyone involved in the incident and its run up under its purview.
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